March 2016 - October 2017

Leaps in cosmology: gravitational wave detection with quantum systems

Grant ID

58745

Project Leader(s)

Ivette Fuentes,David Bruschi

Grantee(s)

University of Vienna

Grant Amount

$215,137

Funding area

Natural Sciences

Department

Natural Sciences

The detection of gravitational waves is one of the most challenging scientific goals of our days. We aim at shifting the paradigm for gravitational wave detection by using quantum resonances in a Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC). BECs are systems consisting of approximately 10 million atoms at very low temperatures. At these temperatures, the atoms exhibit quantum behaviour enabling sensitivities to spacetime distortions that go way beyond other resonant-based proposals. In this project we will design a technology that promises to deepen our understanding of physical phenomena that have been out of reach for current detection proposals. Based on very encouraging preliminary results obtained by our team, we will build the theoretical framework necessary for the development of a device specially tailored to detect gravitational waves in the kHz regime, where other detectors such as LIGO loose sensitivity. At these frequency regimes gravitational waves are produced by exotic astrophysical events, such as binary neutron star and black hole mergers, that hold answers to key questions about the very origins of our Universe and spacetime itself. Therefore, our new detection scheme promises to revolutionise modern approaches and studies in cosmology by helping establish current theories of spacetime and providing deeper insights about the role of gravity in our Universe.